Every year, the Carroll County Fair crowns a Fair Queen to represent the event, present awards and compete for the Iowa State Fair Queen title.
This year’s Carroll County Fair Queen is Meredith Sturm, daughter of Karen and Jerry Sturm of Breda. A 2026 Kuemper Catholic High School graduate, Sturm spent the week serving as an ambassador for the fair while also exhibiting livestock.
One of her favorite parts of the week was meeting younger exhibitors.
“It’s really cool to see the next generation come up and start to love what I love already,” Sturm said.
Although her responsibilities stretched throughout the fair, Saturday was her busiest day.
Sturm arrived at the fairgrounds early Saturday morning to help with animal chores, including cleaning bedding, providing fresh food and water, and making sure fans were operating properly.
She then presented awards during the 4-H/FFA Beef Show, which began at 8 a.m. With its large number of exhibitors, she said, the show is one of the fair’s longest-running events.
At 11 a.m., Sturm joined the Coon Rapids parade, riding through town and tossing candy to children despite the summer heat.
She spent the afternoon assisting with the stuffed animal and small animal shows, which introduce younger children to showmanship, before ending the day at the Dirt Duels.
The schedule made for long days. On Friday, Sturm left the fairgrounds around 11:30 p.m. and arrived home at midnight before returning about 7 a.m. Saturday.
Despite the demanding schedule, she maintained her enthusiasm while showing chickens and livestock for the first time. She also earned Senior Showmanship Grand Champion honors.
“It’s never too late to start something new,” she said.
Sturm will represent Carroll County for a week at the Iowa State Fair in August, where she will compete for the Iowa State Fair Queen crown.
Her favorite musician is Chris Stapleton, and if she could travel anywhere in the United States, she would choose Savannah, Ga. If she could instantly become an expert at one skill, she said it would be baking.
Among her most memorable moments was breaking her arm while hurdling during track practice. Her proudest accomplishment is becoming a state finalist in extemporaneous speaking through the Carroll Area FFA.
This fall, Sturm will attend the University of Iowa to study radiation sciences.
“Something I would like to accomplish long-term is to help as many people as I can in health care and through their diagnostic journey,” she said.
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